By Aaron Williams
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, I was blessed to gather in the evening with Bishop Joseph Kopacz and around 50 young people from our diocese at Jackson St. Richard Parish for a Mass in preparation for the annual March for Life in Washington D.C. I had been to the March twice before in the first two years of my seminary formation, but this was the first year I was able to travel as a pilgrim with the youth of our own diocese.
From St. Richard we set out on a 20-hour bus ride to our nation’s capital where we joined thousands of other young people who have come from every corner of the country. This is perhaps one of the more significant aspects of attending a pilgrimage such as this. In Mississippi, Catholic young people only see other young Catholics in their Sunday school classes, or maybe at their Catholic school.
For a period of four days, our students were able to see people their age living their faith in the public square. They learned that the Catholic Church is not simply alive, it is thriving with young Catholics who are intoxicated with their faith and are not ashamed that others know. Young Mississippians met and spoke with joyful nuns, zealous seminarians and faithful priests who were not much older than they were. One student said to me, “I didn’t know there were nuns that young, or that they were that happy.”
However, perhaps the most important part of this trip was that they learned not only that there were young people and young vocations in the church, but that there are young people and young vocations in our own backyard and that they are capable of being faithful Catholics and defending life in their own state.
Being present as a seminarian on this trip afforded me the opportunity to show the youth of our diocese that there is someone, indeed a handful of young men, who were once in their shoes and are engaged in something that is counter-cultural and are somehow still happy, perhaps even happier for it. It is my fervent prayer that experiences like this week-long pilgrimage will afford our youth an opportunity to consider how they can live their faith at home and what calling God has placed in their hearts.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of faithful Catholics in our diocese who give annually to the Catholic Service Appeal. Each year, a portion of the appeal is afforded to seminarian education which, while covering the massive expense of seminary tuition, also grants us opportunities to take part in events such as the March for Life and other ventures which are worth far more in the fruit they bear than the price they require.
When I was raised, my parents taught me to always send a thank-you card to those who sent me gifts. This is a practice I have kept during my seminarian formation in response to the exceptionally charitable gifts of those individuals, groups and parishes which send gifts during the year.
However, the somewhat anonymous benefactors of the Catholic Service Appeal often go unthanked, at least by those who directly benefit from their generosity. I hope this can in some way suffice to express my gratitude for those who so freely support my brother seminarians and me by their monetary donations and most especially by their prayers. Please know that I pray often for my benefactors and you are most certainly included in my prayers.
(Aaron Williams is a zealous seminarian for the Diocese of Jackson. He is attending Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.)

By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – Lent will soon be upon us and with that several events will occur that are steeped in the tradition of our church. This penitential and sacred season gives us a chance to spend 40 days symbolically in the desert with the Lord.
It is a time to examine our lives in a profound way and shed ourselves of the things that turn us away from God. Lent begins with the traditional ashes of Ash Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, is considered an unofficial holy day of obligation by Catholics. We all like to get ashes traced in a cross on our foreheads.
For some reason the ashes make us feel holy and humble simultaneously. The ashes symbolize our sinfulness and our mortality. There are two phrases that are used when the priest or minister applies the ashes: “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel;” or “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
I think both are very powerful but I have always like the second one because it really emphasizes that we are mortal, we come from creation and will ultimately return to creation. The ashes remind us we are creatures and that our lives were given to us. Our true lasting home, however, is with God.
The ashes also are a witness to others of our faith in Jesus Christ and God’s message of forgivenness and mercy. It is the one time of the year when we walk around with a visible sign of our faith. The ashes on our foreheads give us an opportunity to share our faith with others.
How many of us have gotten strange looks from people in the grocery store or in the bank because we have ashes on our foreheads? This is the perfect time to share your faith in Jesus and explain ‘I’m willing to wear this sign in the world to remind me of from where I come and where I am going. And, I’ve heard the call to turn away from a life of sin and to give my life to living the Gospel of Jesus.”
During Lent, Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In addition, all Catholics 14 years old and older must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent.
Another ancient liturgical tradition of Lent is the Rite of Election. This rite is held in cathedrals around the world for catechumens to be presented to the bishop by their godparents to become members of the Elect, which is the final stage before reception into the church at the Easter vigil.
This year’s rite of election will be celebrated on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m. in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. It is suggested that the rite be held in the cathedral, which is the bishop’s church. Catechumens are on pilgrimage when they come for the rite of election and it should be presented to them by their godparents and RCIA team leaders as a spiritual growth opportunity to make this pilgrimage to the bishop’s church.
Throughout the past year, Bishop Joseph Kopacz has been visiting parishes and missions all over the diocese. The rite of election gives him a liturgical moment to have the faithful gather around him in an ancient church tradition, which dates back in some form 18 centuries.
Pastors, lay ecclesial ministers or RCIA team leaders should contact the diocesan office of worship, if they did not receive the registration form sent out in mid January.
The office may be reached by calling (601) 960-8474; or by email at chancery@jacksondiocese.org.
We wish you all a very blessed and reflective Lenten season. Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Solomon Counseling Center, the outpatient counseling center of Catholic Charities, is setting up an office at Cleveland Our Lady of Victories Parish. The center will offer individual and family counseling on a sliding scale, making the much-needed service available in the Delta at a reduced cost.
“Our Lady of Victories has graciously offered us the use of an office in their parish center. Although we haven’t decorated the office exactly like we want it, we are open for business at this time,” said Valerie McClelland, Solomon’s director. “We are extremely excited about being able to offer this new counseling service,” she said.
The therapist for the Delta office is Jennifer Medders, LPC. Counseling sessions, available to any Catholic family in the Delta, are partially funded by a sliding fee scale based on household size and income. Medders’ hours are by appointment only. She can address issues impacting individuals, couples and families.
“I’m from the Delta so I know we are prepared to drive a long way to receive the quality services we need,” said McClelland. “I would love to come to your church services and/or deanery meetings to help familiarize you and your parishioners with what we offer and answer any questions,” added McClelland.
Any pastor or parish leader who would like to invite McClelland to speak can contact her at 601-326-3761.
To make an appointment call Medders at 662-832-5519.

Twenty-two people will receive Bishop John Joseph Chanche medals for service on Saturday, Feb. 21, in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. The Chanche Medal was established as part of the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Diocese of Jackson as a way to recognize those whose service, often quiet, unrecognized acts of love, has helped build up the church in Mississippi.
This year the organizing committee added a youth component to the award to recognize young people who are already putting their faith into action. These young men and women are the future of the church. Pastors and Lay Ecclesial Ministers submit applications to a committee made up of representatives from every deanery for consideration.
Mississippi Catholic will have full coverage of the awards ceremony as well as profiles of the recipients in the first issue in March.

Deanery I
Anita Zorn Hossley — Vicksburg St. Michael
Patricia and Thomas Gerrets — Madison St. Francis
Diane Pumphrey — Jackson Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle
Margaret and Joe Jones — Gluckstadt St. Joseph
Carolyn and Bill O’Connor — Clinton Holy Savior
Youth:
Ronni Nicole Wolfe — Vicksburg St. Michael
Madeline Saways — Gluckstadt St. Joseph

Deanery II
Louis Sallalio — Natchez Assumption of the Blessed Mother
Walter Maier — Natchez St. Mary
Charlene and Mike Brown — McComb St. Alphonsus
June and Bill Vallely — Gloster Holy Family
Youth:
Natalie Fletcher — Woodville St. Joseph

Deanery III
Marvin Edwards — Winona Sacred Heart
Youth:
Cooper Dunn — Greenwood Immaculate Heart of Mary

Deanery IV
Delores Lowe — Clarksdale St. Elizabeth

Deanery V
Karen Hightower — Amory St. Helen
Will Garnett — Tupelo St. James.

By Elsa Baughman
JACKSON – Fourteen Hispanic couples attended the first of two classes on Natural Family Planning (NFP) using the Sympto-thermal Method on Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. Fausto and Lourdes Ramírez, a certified instructor couple from the Couple to Couple League, (CCL), led the seven-hour session. CCL is a Catholic organization devoted to teaching this NFP method.
This is the first time this program is being offered in Spanish in the Diocese of Jackson thanks to the efforts of Angelica Mazy, a member of St. Peter Parish, and the Office of Family Ministry. Mazy had been searching on her own for an organization that could help her and other Spanish-speaking couples deal with this issue in a Christian way.
Mazy, who has three children, acknowledged that her conscience had been bothering her because she had a small child and wanted to postpone another pregnancy without the use of artificial methods. “Abraham and I were desperate,” she noted.
She heard about Couple to Couple on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and made contact with the company. Couple to couple put her in contact with the Ramírez family, who travel the country teaching NFP.
When Mazy approached her pastor, Father Anthony Quyet, for permission to offer the class he asked her to bring the chancery offices of Family Ministry and Hispanic Ministry into the planning process. Jennifer Eidt, director of the Office of Family Ministry, requested that the class be open to any couple in the diocese so others could take advantage of the opportunity.
Mazy said she and the other 13 couples are still learning this process, which requires patience of both husband and wife. “This method also teaches the husbands about the woman’s menstrual cycle and the need to be caring and understanding during their fertile days,”  she said.
She especially enjoyed a documentary they watched about the theology of the body which emphasizes respect for men and women as blessed partners in procreation. “This part was very important because it helps men to think in a different way about women and to realize that their wives are a part of their lives. I was delighted with the content of this video,” she added.
Eidt said she was very pleased that the opportunity for a NFP training in Spanish presented itself thanks to Mazy’s persistence to follow something that was on her heart.
“My hope moving forward is twofold,” she said. “One, that others in the community will see the importance of this teaching thanks to the witness Angelica and the other couples offer. And then maybe, one of those couples will feel called to the ministry to become trained as certified educators.”
NFP classes using the BOMA method are offered in English on a regular basis. In Jackson Call Debbie Tubertini at 601-607-3073; in Oxford call Mary Leary at 901-848-8193; in Starkville call Angie Petrolina at 662-617-1936; in Tupelo call Lailah Valentine at 662-401-3584 and in Cleveland call Valerie Antici at 601-597-6560.

By Greg Patin
The Mississippi Jurisdiction of the Knights of Columbus has appointed three members to coordinate Knights’ response to natural and man-made disasters. The Knights have long responded to disasters and partnered with organizations such as Catholic Charities and individual parishes. However, the national organization is placing an emphasis on training and appropriate structures for volunteering during times of disaster.
In Mississippi, the Knights have chosen to partner with Volunteer Mississippi and assist in the operation of Volunteer Reception Centers (VRC). The Knights are training teams to manage VRCs, where volunteers will report to sign up to help in times of disaster.
Jerry Schmuck of Council 12271 in Gulfport is a past State Deputy and is currently the State Disaster Response Director. Schmuck is a retired Seabee Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9) and has extensive training in disasters of all kinds. His first natural disaster involvement was with Hurricane Camille in 1969. From then until he retired from active duty in 1994, he has worked in every facet of recovery efforts from crew member to operations manager. When the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council established a National Disaster Response Program, Schmuck volunteered to assist in any way possible. He feels very strongly that by working together Mississippi Knights can make a big difference when assisting with recovery efforts in our state.
As a member of Council 15131, St. Richard Parish, I am assisting Schmuck in the Diocese of Jackson. Having more than six years experience in disaster preparedness and response, I served as Incident Commander for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston while working for Catholic Charities in Houston and led Catholic Charities recovery program which repaired more than 350 homes in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Allison where I trained parish staff and parishioners in disaster preparedness and response and also served as the director of regional disaster response for the seven Catholic dioceses in Louisiana.
Brent Woodfill is the Biloxi Diocese Regional Disaster Response director. Woodfill, a member of Council 1522 in Waveland, has more than seven years of disaster response experience. He has National Incident Management System training and served as the Incident Commander for the U.S. Postal response team in Mankato, Mn.
After retiring from the Postal Service, Woodfill moved to Waveland in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and served as the volunteer coordinator for St. Clare Recovery. He also gained case-management experience in disaster response through his work experience with Catholic Social Services and the Hancock Resource Center.
Woodfill has taught several Red Cross training programs, including mass care, disaster response and assessment and shelter operations. He is looking forward to using his experience and training and in helping his brother knights to become assets to the community in any incident(s) to which they are called.

Bishop Joseph Kopacz formally announced several substantial changes to the structure of the chancery in the Diocese of Jackson to take effect Friday, Feb. 16. The restructuring is the result of a months-long process of re-envisioning the role of the chancery as well as redefining the roles of the people who work there, done in conjunction with Catholic Leadership Institute, an organization that offers leadership consultation and training to Catholic dioceses. The changes impact virtually every department.
Father Kevin Slattery has been appointed the new vicar general for the diocese effective Monday, Feb. 16, but his role will be different than that of outgoing vicar Msgr. Elvin Sunds. Father Slattery, who has served in the past as the Judicial Vicar and in several parishes in the diocese, was most recently pastor at Canton Sacred Heart Parish, sacramental minister at Gluckstadt St. Joseph and adjutant judicial vicar. He will now be the sacramental minister for Magee St. Stephen.
He was ordained in Clarksdale St. Elizabeth Parish in June of 1986, after completing his studies at St. Meinrad Seminary. He has a masters of divinity from St. Meinrad as well as a Canon Law degree. He has served in Clarksdale, Meridian, Oxford, Carthage and Gluckstadt. He has been a Vicar Forane and Dean of a deanery.
Msgr. Sunds will act as administrator pro-temp of Canton Sacred Heart and sacramental minister pro-temp of Gluckstadt St. Joseph until a pastoral assignment is made. He said he is ready to serve in a parish. Msgr. Sunds was ordained in August 1973 in Bay St. Louis. At the time of his reassignment, he served as the Vicar General, Vicar for Priests, Chancellor and Moderator of the Curia as well as serving on 13 other boards and committees within the diocese including the governance council at Catholic Charities and as the chaplain for the Boy Scouts and Knights of Columbus. He has been the vicar general for 11 years. Prior to that, he was the director of Catholic Charities and served in parishes in Biloxi, Jackson, Flowood and Meridian. “I want to thank Bishop Latino and Bishop Kopacz for their support during the ten years I have served as Vicar General. I also want to thank our diocesan and religious order priests as well as the many women and men religious, Lay Ecclesial Ministers and laity. We have a great group of men and women serving the people of our diocese.  It has been a privilege working with all of you,” said Msgr. Sunds
The role of the vicar general has been better defined so some of the duties Msgr. Sunds previously fulfilled will pass to others, allowing him to operate more as he should, as the head of the chancery and moderator of the curia. “That vicar is the Chief Operating officer,” explained Bishop Kopacz. “Realistically the bishop cannot meet with department heads every time there is a change, like a personnel change or other business,” he said.
The new role of the vicar general is to directly supervise all the department heads, work with the vicar for priests, judicial vicar and chancellor to ensure the smooth day-to-day operation of the chancery. He will report to the bishop. He will also represent the bishop in public, when needed and supervise legal activities of the diocese.
In the past the vicar general has also served as the vicar for priests. Msgr. Sunds will continue to fill this role until an assignment is made. This role will now go to a priest who does not work in the chancery building. “A vicar for priests not living and working in the chancery is a good thing because the priests feel like he’s a pastor and has been where they are,” explained Bishop Kopacz, who served in this role in the Diocese of Scranton. This vicar has not yet been assigned.
The vicar for priests helps with assignments of priests and lay ecclesial ministers, provides training and continuing formation and can act as a mediator or resource for priests. He would also direct the permanent diaconate program.
Mary Woodward has been appointed diocesan chancellor and is the first lay person to hold this office for the diocese. The chancellor is the official record keeper and notary of the diocese. The primary role of the chancellor is to gather, arrange, and safeguard the Acts and the archives of the diocesan curia. Woodward will be responsible for the orderly arrangement and accessibility of the records and files that keep the diocese running and are its recorded history.
The office of the chancellor also helps disseminate information to clergy, parishes and the Catholic faithful that may be beneficial to the people of the diocese. In the Diocese of Jackson, the chancellor also will serve as director of the office of worship and liturgy. This office coordinates all diocesan liturgies and works with the bishop to establish liturgical norms and directives for the diocese.
A native of Jackson and graduate of Millsaps College, Woodward has been working for the diocese since October 1990, when she began as a part-time assistant at Mississippi Catholic. She became full-time office manager for the paper in January 1991. In 1996 she was appointed director of the department of evangelization and communications. In 2003 the diocesan office of worship was added to the department of evangelization. Woodward took on the role of archivist in July 2009 and in January 2010 she became liturgical minister of ceremonies for Bishop Joseph Latino.
“It has been an honor to serve the church in such a unique capacity over the past almost 25 years. Being able to share my Catholic faith with so many people in parishes around the diocese as well as our diocesan chancery family has been an enlightening and enriching experience,” said Woodward. “We have some amazing people here in our diocese. I look forward to this new ministry and responsibility as diocesan chancellor. I am humbled that after many years of gaining knowledge and experience from such good leaders I have been allowed to take on such a historic role in the life of our church,” she added.
Maureen Smith steps into the role of director of communications. The newly-formed department will handle internal and external communications including newsletters, the Mississippi Catholic, media relations, website maintenance and design and publication services for the chancery offices. She has been an associate editor at Mississippi Catholic since September 2012 and has an undergraduate degree in radio/television/film as well as a master’s of theological studies, both from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. Her past experience includes work as a producer at the Fox television affiliate in Mobile and work as a public relations coordinator and account service manager at Red Square Agency. She and her husband are members of Jackson St. Richard Parish. They have two daughters who attend St. Richard School.
The department of Evangelization and Faith Formation has been restructured with two directors, Fran Lavelle and Catherine Cook. Lavelle, an Ohio native, has spent nearly 20 years in ministry. Prior to joining the chancery staff in October of 2014, she spent 15 years as the full-time campus minister at Mississippi State. Her interests include farming, gardening, reading and writing.  She brings with her a love for collaborative ministry and wants to be an advocate for the chancery and parish staff alike.
“I have great respect for the men and women who work for the church. It is a calling that is not always easy but quite rewarding,” said Lavelle.
Cook will continue to serve as superintendent of Catholic Schools. The offices reporting to the new directors include Hispanic Ministry, Family Ministry, Black Catholic Ministry and Youth Ministry. This department is also responsible for catechist certification and training.
The office formerly called Administration and Finance will now be called the Department of Temporal Affairs, which better describes its role managing finances and legal affairs.
The office of Stewardship and Development, which houses the Catholic Service Appeal and the Catholic Foundation has added a position, coordinator of stewardship. Christopher Luke, a recent graduate of Jackson State University and member of Jackson St. Therese Parish has stepped into that role to help parishes develop stewardship among the people in the diocese.
The Judicial Vicar’s office and tribunal remain the same, but the department welcomes Fabvienen Taylor as the new administrative assistant. Taylor worked for Mississippi Catholic for many years and also served in the Office of Faith Formation.
Amidst all of these administrative moves, the chancery is undergoing a physical renovation including new flooring, paint and some office moves to better reflect the new structure. Work crews hope to be finished with the work mid-February.
The bishop said shortly after his arrival in February of 2014 he wanted to make a few changes in the structure and he was approached by the Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) with an offer to do leadership training with the priests, covered in part by grant money. He said he wanted to make sure the chancery was properly structured before he started any other training.
“I think it came out in an amazing way – I am very happy with it and I am very confident it can serve the diocese well,” said Bishop Kopacz. The next step in the process was to welcome CLI’s Good Leaders Good Shepherds program for the priests, detailed in another story in this edition of Mississippi Catholic. After that, the leadership in the diocese will go through a discernment process.
When the bishop reflected on what’s next for the diocese he said he wants “to continue to strengthen the bonds of the diocesan network – which is the body of Christ. Come the end of this year we want to enact a process in the diocese that would be a picture, an aerial view, a view on the ground of each of our deaneries, because they are different from one another, but have similar realities, so we can move forward together. It’s a kind of re-envisioning as we did here in chancery.” He said it will be a time to do some productive planning.

“Active. The only way for me to approach coming into a new way of life, so to speak, is just get fully engaged and jump in the water.” This is how Bishop Joseph Kopacz described his first year as the bishop of the Diocese of Jackson. He is set to celebrate the anniversary of his ordination and installation Friday, Feb. 6, with a day of reflection with Chancery staff.
True to his promise to visit as many parishes, schools and communities as he could in his first year, Bishop Kopacz put between 28,000 and 29,000 miles on his vehicle since he got it a few days before his ordination. He has celebrated Mass at all the schools and 90 percent of the parishes and missions. He hopes to complete his tour soon and will continue to make visits. He sees all the travel as an important part of his ministry.
“It’s much more than being a pastor. It’s not better, but it’s much more complicated. People seem to respond to the pastoral approach very positively. That’s been a wonderful surprise. I’m not doing anything different than I did when I was a pastor, in a sense. I am celebrating Masses and going to receptions and being there for significant parish events, but doing that as bishop. People are really grateful for that,” said Bishop Kopacz.
“That’s been a nice surprise; it’s been positive. It’s not like a bishop has to work on his approval ratings, that’s not the point, but a bishop’s ministry is one of encouraging people and you can’t do that easily without (being present). I know it was hard for Bishop Latino to do that in the last few years because of his health, so they are grateful I can get out and do that,” added Bishop Kopacz.
In the past year the bishop has brought a new focus to the chancery, leading the effort to reorganize and more clearly define the roles of those in leadership positions for the diocese. The leadership team has called the process re-envisioning. It includes structural changes in the chancery and leadership training opportunities for the priests through the Good Leaders Good Shepherds program as well as future work in the diocese as a whole.
He has also started to get to know his flock as individuals and communities. “So a year later, having met many, many people and having worked now with key leadership: priests, LEMs (lay ecclesial ministers) religious sisters and chancery staff, lots of other people – it’s a whole new thing when you know people by name – and now having gone through that (re-envisioning) process with the chancery I feel like I am part of something moving forward. Taking time to do what we did with re-envisioning really makes a big difference,” he said. (Readers can find a complete story about the re-envisioning process on page one of this edition.)
Bishop Kopacz said he still has work to do. “Now it’s not only touching lightly in some areas, it’s deepening that relationship with the parish communities,” he explained. “I felt that when I said hello and welcome to the priests at Good Leaders Good Shepherds. To look around the room and see 40-something priests, not only know them by name, but to know their religious communities, who is diocesan, the Indian priests, where they are – I’ve spent time with every one of them – that’s a very different experience than looking out at that body of priests at ordination. I didn’t have a clue who they were and they didn’t have a clue who I was!
“So I think there has been great relationship building. I love how Pope Francis articulates it, I think it’s true for a bishop coming into a diocese. There is a lot of dialogue, a lot of discernment, and all of that under the gaze of our loving God. Moving forward, the questions are: how do we strengthen that? How do we continue to build and work with our strengths in the diocese and yet understand that there are going to be areas that need attention? So both are at work in a really good way,” he said.
The bishop is also looking forward to getting to know the faithful in his diocese. “Going out to parishes has been another piece to this that has really helped me come to a greater knowledge and appreciation of this diocesan family that’s now 178 years old. It has an amazing history,” explained the bishop.
Among his most remarkable moments in the past year the bishop counts confirmations, Lenten prayer services and Sunday liturgies transformed by the work and spirit of those involved. He said he appreciates when volunteers put their hearts into welcoming him, getting their churches ready and preparing food for receptions. “Each of the celebrations – because there is so much variety – there are so many special moments,” he said.
In August, the bishop went to an acculturation workshop for new people coming to serve in the Diocese of Jackson. “Just to think about 44 new people coming into the diocese, that’s amazing. That’s people still coming to serve and that’s life giving. You look around that room and you think – whether it’s the priests from India or the Redemptorists or the sisters who are going to be in Camden – it just doesn’t end. The needs are great and we are constantly juggling with our leadership resources, but people keep coming,” he said. He is also very pleased and encouraged about those who are from Mississippi who step up to serve, from the newly ordained priests and seminarians from the diocese to those involved in parish leadership, there is great reason to be encouraged about the church in Mississippi.
Moving from Pennsylvania to Mississippi has taken some adjusting. Bishop Kopacz said he has been pleased with the rhythm he has been able to establish with going home to visit and he feels nicely settled into his new home. Some changes, he said, are definitely positive. “I am so geared in December and January to darkness and cold – I was in the cathedral one Sunday back a month ago and I’m walking out and what came into my mind is that in each church where I have previously served there was a bucket of ‘snow-melt,’ a shovel, a broom and a can to throw the snow-melt in the corner by the front door. So I said to Father Anthony (Quyet, rector of the cathedral), ‘where’s the snow-melt?’”
Amigo, the bishop’s beloved chocolate lab, has also found a good home in the Magnolia State. “That is a pleasant surprise too – he has adapted beautifully. He’s used to people, not other animals. And always being a homebody at the rectory,” explained the bishop. With his travel schedule, Amigo has had to make some new friends.
A couple of people have graciously stepped up to take Amigo when the bishop is on the road, including Kathie Curtis, coordinator of the Office of Youth Ministry, who also helps train service animals as part of the Gallant Hearts rescue group. A Jackson couple also dog-sits when needed. “If I just got out my calendar and looked at the last year, every day would have a moment of inspiration and gratitude,” said Bishop Kopacz.

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Five-year-old Helena White is back home after a remarkable rescue and recovery thanks to the work of strangers who stopped to rescue the girl from her car, which had flipped into a creek near Camden Dec. 28. One of those rescuers, William Banks, a youth minister at Camden Sacred Heart Parish, said he believes he was part of a miracle and that everything about that day was directed by God to put him in the right place at the right time.

Helena White, center, gets love from her mother Chasity and father Ray White during a news conference about the little girl’s recovery from a car wreck and near drowning. (Photos by Maureen Smith)

The child’s mother, Chasity White, told a reporter for the Jackson Clarion Ledger she turned her head to look at a picture little Helena has drawn and missed a turn on the road. Their car flipped and landed in a creek. When White could not get her child out, she ran up to the road and started flagging down passers-by.
Banks and his girlfriend Jessica Burch were driving back from the Gulf Coast when they came across the scene. “When you looked down the bank you could see the mama, she was screaming that her baby was in the car,” he said. One of the rescuers told Banks they needed a knife to cut the seatbelt. “I had just gotten a knife, two days before, she (Burch) gave it to me.”
Banks went into the water. “I can’t even swim. I was so scared, but the Lord was there with me. I could not see. Someone took my hands and guided them to the seatbelt,” said Banks. He cut his own hand while cutting the seatbelt to make sure he did not cut the child. When he got the belt off he discovered little Helena’s body was wedged between the seats.

Banks

“I said, we can’t get her out this way, we have to try something else. We have to lift up the car,” said Banks. How did he and a handful of others lift a submerged car? “The grace of God,” he said. Once they pulled the girl from the car she had been under water for a long time, perhaps as long as 10 minutes.
“She was blue and her mama was holding her in the water. You could tell she was just getting weak,” said Burch, who was a lifeguard and knew CPR. She and the others on the bank helped Chasity White out of the water and one person started CPR. “About four minutes in, she gave a little burp so they rolled her over and water came out,” explained Banks. “Then she started crying. That was the most beautiful sound, the crying baby,” said Banks.
“Yes, that was the miracle, the sound of that baby crying,” added Burch. Banks said he had no way of knowing what happened after the ambulance left. He did not know the child’s name or where she went. “I did not sleep for days. I would cry—I just didn’t know what happened,” he said. Burch saw a story on the television, including video of the rescue. Banks contacted the sheriff’s department to see if he could speak to the family. Seeing Helena and hearing that she will recover fully eased his anxiety.
Doctor Mary Taylor, chief of pediatric critical care at Batson’s Children’s hospital called Helena’s recovery remarkable.  At a press conference about the case held Friday, Jan. 9, the doctor said fact that Helena was in an age-appropriate 5-point restraint car seat and that rescuers started CPR immediately are the two factors that contributed most to the child’s survival.
The car seat prevented more serious injuries to her body. “While it may seem funny because she was trapped in the car that probably saved her from significant injury from the rollover car accident she had,” explained Taylor. Then, starting CPR restored circulation and got oxygen to her brain, preventing permanent damage. Even the fact that the water was cold may have helped. Taylor said a person is more likely to survive a cold-water near-drowning. She added that some children spend weeks on a ventilator after a near-drowning. Helena spent only days and had to be sedated because she was so active in the days after the accident, an early good sign of her spirit. She went home Sunday, Jan. 11.

Banks still has the knife he used in the rescue, but says he will not use it again.

“She is the same happy little girl that wants to make everyone happy,” said her mother. “We’re very thankful for all the prayers and all the support because it has definitely helped,” she said.
White said Helena remembers the accident. She said she wants her daughter to know the rest of the story— and the people who saved her life. “I was so surprised to see how many people stopped. We are so thankful for everyone that helped. Now we keep in pretty close contact. She said ‘I want to meet everyone that helped’ and I’m like, ‘you will,’” said White.
Banks and Burch offered to host a real birthday party for the girl, since she spent her 5th birthday in the intensive care unit. “It has changed my perspective on life. I just pray every day. I take a little time every day. You know, you never know what God is going to put there for you,” said Banks. Although he still has the knife he used in the rescue, he said he will not use it again. He still gets emotional when talking about the accident. He said he plans to talk to his youth group about the rescue to tell them to be ready for when God might call them to step up.